Whether you own one truck or a fleet, you need to make sure you have the right protection in place.

Below is a guide to truck insurance to help you out.

Types of truck insurance

Road risks – Road risks will make sure your trucks are road legal and so getting this type of cover is a necessity. If you only want minimal protection then you can get a third party only policy, however this doesn’t provide any cover for your own trucks. A comprehensive policy will provide cover for all types of collisions, even those that you or your drivers are liable for.

Fleet insurance – If you have multiple trucks that you want to insure then you can get a fleet insurance policy.

Liability claims – Liability claims are something that every company must be protected against. If a liability claim were to go against your company and you didn’t have the right cover in place then it could be devastating.

Legal expenses – If you needed to fight a liability claim in court then having this type of cover would ensure that the legal expenses involved would be taken care of.

Breakdowns – Breakdown recovery is certainly a vital type of cover to have when insuring trucks. You’ll be able to have it included as part of your insurance if you don’t already have it.

Ways to save money on truck insurance

Pay upfront – If you can pay for your truck insuranceannually rather than monthly then this is a great way to make a saving. Most insurance providers prefer when you pay for your policy upfront and in the majority of cases, you’ll be offered a significant discount on the policy for doing this.

Get a lot of quotes – Getting quotes is now easier than ever thanks to sites like https://www.cleangreencars.co.uk/. Using such sites enables you to get quotes from different insurance providers simply by filling out one quote form.

Hire good drivers – Hiring good drivers is another excellent way to save money on truck insurance. Good drivers to hire are those who are over the age of 30, who have plenty of truck driving experience and don’t have any driving convictions.

If you have experience working as a mechanic in an repair shop or MOT garage then you might have considered going out on your own. If you want to work for yourself as a mechanic then the good news is you don’t need to have your own premises and staff to do it. You can in fact work as a mobile mechanic where you go to the customers rather than them coming to you.

Below are the main steps you need to take to become a mobile mechanic as well as some tips on saving money on insurance.

Buying a van

Of course to work as a mobile mechanic, you will need a van to store your tools and travel to customers. When buying a van, below are some of the most important things to consider –

Size – The size of your van is certainly going to be important. Since you’ll be constantly going in and out of it to get the tools you need, you want to make sure there’s enough space – not just for your tools but also for you to move around in it comfortably.

Cost – The cost of a van is of course going to be another important factor. Depending on the budget you have, you might prefer to buy a used vehicle. There are plenty of used vans for sale on places like eBay and Auto Trader so finding a vehicle that’s suitable for you won’t be an issue.

Condition – The condition of the van is certainly important, especially since you’ll be using it to make a living. You want to make sure that any vehicles you’re considering are free of major faults or damage to the bodywork.

Keeping the cost of insurance down

When working as a mobile mechanic, it’s not enough to simply get cover for your van. You also need to get cover that enables you to work on customer vehicles and covers you for things like liability claims.

Make your van secure – When it comes to making your van secure, you should take any steps you can, such as installing an alarm and using a steering wheel lock. Ideally you will also have a locked garage to park it in.

Get quotes from different providers – Getting quotes from multiple providers

If you run a business that relies on the use of vans then you’ll know that insurance costs can soon add up. Not only do you have to think about insuring your premises but you also need to insure the vans themselves.

Most companies that have multiple vans will insure them as a fleet since this is nearly always cheaper and more convenient that insuring them separately. Although insuring vans as a fleet is cheaper, there still might be steps you could take in order to reduce the cost of your insurance.

Hire the right drivers – Hiring reliable drivers is one of the best ways you can keep the costs of van fleet insurance to a minimum. When insurance providers are calculating the cost of your policy they will take many factors into account. These include how secure your vans are, where they’re parked when not in use as well as the named drivers. By hiring experienced drivers who are over the age of 25, you can help to cut the cost of your insurance considerably.

Pay upfront – Paying for your van fleet insurance upfront might not sound too appealing since you’re certainly going to pay a larger amount upfront compared to paying monthly. However the big advantage of paying annually is that it puts you in an excellent negotiating position to get a lower rate for the policy. Insurance providers always prefer when you pay more initially so you should push to get the biggest discount you can.

Secure your vehicles – Another great way to save on van fleet insurance is to make your vans secure. This means having alarms/immobolisers/trackers installed to help reduce the chances of theft and vandalism. Being able to demonstrate to insurance providers that your vans are secure will certainly help to reduce the cost of your insurance.

Secure your premises – In addition to making the vans themselves secure, you should also take precautions to secure your premises with security lights/alarms/CCTV etc.

Shop around – Getting quotes is easier than ever now thanks to insurance comparison sites such as Cheap Fleet. By getting quotes from different providers you can ensure that you don’t overpay and find the policy that’s right for your business and at the best price.

If you own a van then might not be aware that you have the option to convert it into a minibus. Whilst this would take quite a bit of work and expense, it does save you having to buy a new minibus, which can be considerably expensive.

Below are some of the main reasons to consider converting your van into a minibus as well as some tips to save money on insurance.

Why convert your van to a minibus?

More space for passengers – One of the most obvious reasons to convert your van into a minibus is so you have more room for passengers. If you have a large family or you often need to transport your kids and their friends places then having a minibus is an excellent way to ensure there’s enough room for everyone.

Work as a minibus taxi driver – Another great reason to convert your van into a minibus is so you can work as a taxi driver. In order to do this, you will need to have a private hire taxi driver’s licence as well as getting your own taxi driver’s insurance.

How to go about it

If you’ve decided that you do want to convert your van into a minibus then it’s usually recommended that you hire a professional company to do this for you. This way you can be sure that everything is fitted properly and that your vehicle is safe to drive.

The second option is to tackle the conversion yourself, although this is only recommended if you have previous experience with conversions or at least have a good amount of experience with carpentry. Bear in mind that you will also need to abide by the safety regulations in order for your van to be road legal.

Saving money on insurance

Once your vehicle is legally considered to be a minibus you’ll then need to get the right kind of cover. The type of cover will depend on how you use your minibus. If it’s for a personal use only then a standard minibus insurance policy will suffice.

If you intended to use your minibus to work as a taxi driver then you’ll need to get a private hire taxi driver’s insurance policy.

Always be sure to get multiple quotes when looking for taxi insurance so you get the best price.…

If you have recently been convicted of drink driving and you rely on the use of your van to make a living then you’re likely very concerned about the impact your conviction is going to have on your ability to get insurance at a reasonable price.

It’s certainly the case that a drink driving conviction will mean you’re considered higher risk by a lot of insurance providers and therefore you can expect to pay more. However the fact that you have a conviction doesn’t mean that finding van insurance will be impossible.

Do you have to declare your conviction to insurance providers?

Whether you are obligated to declare your conviction to insurance providers will depend on the severity of the punishment you received for your conviction. The punishment around drink driving tends to vary a lot depending on factors such as how much you’d had to drink, whether anyone else was hurt etc.

For less severe punishments, such as a fine or community service, then your conviction will be spent fairly quickly. When your conviction is spent, this is when you are no longer obligated to declare it yourself. This doesn’t mean that insurance providers wouldn’t be able to find out about it though

Where can I find specialist cover?

Getting quotes online is very simple. Sites like http://www.convictioninsure.co.uk make it very easy to get van insurance quotes from specialist convicted drivers insurance providers. Getting cover from specialist providers is always recommended when you have a drink driving conviction since they are equipped to deal with your unique circumstances.

Are there any good ways to save money?

Below are some of the best ways you can save money on van insurance –

Make your van secure – Making your van secure will definitely help to reduce what you pay for insurance. It will also help a lot if you have a driveway or garage to park your van when not in use.

Limit the cover options – Getting a third party only policy is always considerably cheaper than getting fully comprehensive cover, even if it doesn’t provide any protection for your own vehicle.

Increase your excess – Increasing the excess you’d pay if you had to make a claim is another very reliable way to reduce the cost of your premium.

If you want to invest in a vehicle for your career then 2 of the main contenders are vans and minibuses. Both types of vehicles are useful and which is best for you will depend on the type of work you want to do.

Below are some of the main advantages of each.

Minibus

Some of the advantages of owning a minibus include –

Carry more passengers – The most obvious benefit of a minibus over a van is that you’re able to carry a lot more passengers. Even the smallest minibus can carry 9 passengers, with the largest going all the way up to 17.

Option to work as a taxi driver – Another big advantage of owning a minibus is that you will have the option to work as a taxi driver. Of course you’d need to get a private hire taxi licence first but there are many taxi firms who are looking for minibus own drivers so it’s a great way to make yourself more employable.

Van

More storage space – What a van lacks in passenger capacity, it makes up for in storage space. Having more storage space is extremely useful, particularly if your job requires you to carry around a lot of tools.

Can be used for wide range of jobs – Another key advantage of a van is that it can be used for a lot of different careers i.e. mobile mechanic, plumber, electrician, courier etc.

Which is cheaper to insure?

When it comes to getting insurance for either a minibus or van, it’s hard to say which is cheaper since it will depend on a number of factors. For one thing, the type of policy you get for your vehicle will depend on how it’s used.

There are also things like the value of the vehicle, your age, your driving history etc. that will impact the price of your insurance. You will need to consider this when choosing the right type of policy for your minibus or van. You can find quotes for both minibus insurance and van insurance online.

Verdict

Ultimately the type of vehicle that’s best will depend on the type of work you want to do and what you’re best suited to. If you like working with the public and like the idea of being able to help out local charities, nursing homes etc. then a minibus wold be ideal.…

Many businesses rely on the use of vans for day-to-day operations. If you own a fleet of vans then you’ll want to take any steps you can to keep insurance costs to a minimum.

One of the best ways to cut down costs when you have multiple vans to insure is by getting a van fleet insurance policy. This enables you to insure all your vans together, even if they’re not the same size, model, value etc.

Below are some of the most important things you need to know about van fleet insurance.

Factors that will affect cost

Value of the vans – The value of the vans in your fleet will certainly have an impact on the cost of your insurance.

Age of named drivers – When hiring drivers, you should always hire over 25, and ideally over 30. This is because insurance costs lower significantly for more experienced drivers.

Security – How secure your vans are will certainly impact the cost of your van fleet insurance. As well as making the vans themselves secure, you should also secure your premises by installing CCTV, security lights and perimeter security measures such as spikes or barbed wire.

Saving money

Increase excess – Increasing your excess will certainly help to lower the cost of your premium. How much you increase your excess by will depend on how much of a risk you want to take since you will need to pay the extra eventually if you need to make a claim.

Make your vans secure – Another way to lower the cost of your insurance is to make your vans as secure as possible. Most modern vans already come with an alarm and immobiliser but you needn’t stop there. You should also think about getting GPS trackers installed in your vans, which will make them much easier to recover if stolen.

Pay for the policy annually – Paying for your policy annually rather than monthly is another very reliable way to make a saving on van fleet insurance, although you will obviously end up paying more at the beginning.

Get quotes from different providers – Getting quotes from multiple providers is a very obvious way to save money on insurance. It’s also very easy to do thanks to the many insurance comparison sites that now exist.

Running a motor trade business comes with a lot of responsibility. This being the case you want to take any steps you can to protect it.

Below are some of the most important aspects of protecting a motor trade business.

Making your premises secure

One of the most important things to do when running a motor trade business is making your premises secure. This particularly important it you have a lot of expensive vehicles on your premises as they can very easily be targeted by thieves and vandals.

In addition to installing security cameras and lights, you should also also think about using barbed wire or speaks to keep people out of your premises when it’s closed. Taking measures such as these will not only help to protect your business but it will also lower the cost of your insurance too.

Getting the right cover

The most basis type of cover you’ll need when running a motor trade business is road risks insurance. This will enable you and your staff to work on customer vehicles as well as driving them. However road risks cover is what you need at minimum. You should also consider getting cover for things like liability claims and breakdowns. You can also get what is known as a combined motor trade insurance policy. This is a type of cover that will cover all aspects of your business, from your vehicles and premises to tools, stock and cash.

Getting a lot of quotes is always recommended since it will help you to avoid overspending on your insurance.

Hiring the right people

Another very important aspect of protecting your business is to make sure you hire the right people. This will depend on what type of motor trade business you run. For example if you run a workshop then you’ll of course need staff who are highly trained. If you run a car showroom then this will require a different set of skills.

In any case, you want to hire people who are enthusiastic and reliable.…